We are committed to preparing adaptive professionals who are competent, accountable, reflective, and engaged in a diverse and changing world. Our highly experienced faculty is dedicated to the development of each student through a vibrant curriculum that integrates superior academic training and supervised clinical experiences. Completion of the program ensures that candidates emerge as well-rounded professionals who understand the complexities of educating all students in Central Georgia as part of a rapidly changing global environment.

Conceptual Framework (MAT)

The School of Education’s philosophy consists of four essential elements that constitute a highly qualified, adaptive professional who will contribute to the field of education and affect the lives of children and communities in positive and meaningful ways. Pre-service teachers will exemplify the following four essential elements: (C)ompetent, (A)ccountable, (R)eflective, and (E)ngaged adaptive professionals in the field, otherwise known as CARE.

Accreditation (MAT)

Providers accredited under NCATE standards, as well as those accredited under the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) standards, are now served by the single specialized accreditation system for educator preparation in the United States, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). More than 900 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP accreditation system.

Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education with Initial Teacher Certification Program Mission

The mission of Middle Georgia State University’s Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education with Initial Teacher Certification Program is to prepare adaptive professionals who are competent, accountable, reflective, and engaged. Aligned with the mission statement of the University and the Office of Graduate Studies, this program builds on successful baccalaureate degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM), English, and history. As a program with a key partnership in the Bibb County School District, the MAT degree program is designed to address a continuing teacher shortage in Georgia and to provide initial teacher certification for graduate program candidates. This proposed graduate degree program will produce well-prepared and competent candidates to meet the critical need for highly qualified and effective secondary school teachers in the middle Georgia area; hence, these well trained MGA graduates will strengthen the faculty of area school systems.

Program Format and Degree Requirements (MAT)

The Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education with Initial Teacher Certification (MAT) program prepares the candidate who holds a Bachelor’s degree in biology, English, history or mathematics from a Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) accredited institution the opportunity to provide educational services for all students in grades 6-12. The program is offered as full-time program of 30 credit hours. There are three EDUC field experiences: one half semester in a middle grades setting and one half semester in a high school setting. The final field experience is full semester at the high school. These graduate interns will be placed in secondary classrooms for 900 hours; it is important to note that the Georgia Professional Standards Commission requires a minimum of 700 hours.

During the first eight weeks of fall semester, the interns will be co-teaching all-day two days per week in a middle grades subject area classroom to satisfy the GaPSC requirement for a grades 6-12 certification. During the fall semester, the MAT interns will be co-teaching all-day two days per week. During the spring semester, the interns will be co-teaching all-day, every day with their cooperating teachers. The MAT program is an online program administered from the School of Education from the Macon Campus with off-site housing of its graduate students in individual schools of the Bibb County School District, Macon, GA.

This program directs candidates to begin in summer semester and complete the program in the spring of the following calendar year. The graduate-level education courses, including field experiences, will be offered during fall and spring terms and will be full semester in length. Summer term will follow the traditional institutional calendar. The program is currently 30 credit hours.